by Nicki Night
“Come on, Drew. It will be my treat.” Alana was certain that he had to be hungry. Airline food wasn’t the most appetizing and he’d been cooped up in those cabins for almost a full day.
Drew leaned over and whispered something in his father’s ear before leaving his bedside.
“What about you, little lady?” he asked his mother. “Have you eaten?” Drew massaged her shoulders from behind.
“Oh, I’m fine. People have been bringing me stuff since yesterday. I sent Hunter and Blake home with a bunch of goodies.”
“Okay, I’ll be back.” Drew kissed his mom’s forehead.
Joyce squeezed Alana in a warm hug again. “Tell him to get some rest,” she whispered in her ear.
As they left, Alana pondered Drew’s interactions with his mother. She could draw good conclusions about a man who treated his mother well.
“After we eat, do you want to go to your mother’s house or...home?” She stopped herself from offering her place as an option.
“I already appreciate you picking me up at the airport. I don’t want to take you out of your way by having you drive me all the way to Brooklyn. Let’s just go eat. I’m starving.”
“You got it.”
They left the hospital and headed to one of Alana’s favorite grills in Garden City. The crowd was light as usual for a Monday evening. They were seated right away. Alana ordered wine and Drew ordered a snifter of cognac.
“You seem more at ease than when I first picked you up.” Alana ran her finger around the rim of her glass.
“I didn’t know what to expect. Being so far away, I automatically thought the worst. I prayed...”
Alana raised her brows at his admission.
“So Drew Barrington prays,” Alana teased.
Drew shook his head and chuckled. “I just wanted him to be alive when I arrived. I couldn’t wait to get off that plane. Now that I’ve seen him I know that even though he has a tough road ahead of him he’ll still be here. That’s all that matters to me. I can’t imagine losing my dad. He’s like a superhero.”
Alana’s heart swelled. She knew exactly how he felt. She also appreciated meeting the tender side of Drew. It made him...real.
Conversation came with ease and they enjoyed their food. Back in the car, Alana asked again, “Okay. Where to?”
“How about your house?”
Alana swallowed. “You sure?”
“I don’t really want to be alone.”
She cleared her throat. “Okay.”
It took a quick twenty minutes to get to Alana’s house. She led the way to the den, disappeared and returned with a towel and washcloth.
“You know where to go whenever you’re ready. I’m going to run upstairs and get out of these work clothes.”
“Need some help with that?”
Alana narrowed one eye at him. “Drew,” she admonished.
“If you don’t want my help, I was only joking, but if you do, then I’m serious.”
“Drew!” Alana yelled as she climbed the stairs. His laugh followed her to the room.
Alana removed her suit and slipped into a pair of blue yoga pants and a graphic T-shirt that hung slightly off one shoulder. She stuck her feet into a pair of fluffy pink slippers and came back downstairs.
Drew was no longer in the den and his washcloth and towel were gone. Alana inclined her ear toward the bathroom that adjoined her first-floor guest room and heard the shower running. She retrieved a bottle of wine from the butler’s pantry and placed it, along with a glass, onto the tray sitting on top of the center ottoman. She looked around for the remote and placed it on the tray, as well.
Just as she placed a throw across the arm of the sectional, Drew came out of the bathroom.
“I brought you—” Alana turned to find Drew standing in the entrance wearing nothing more than a towel. Moisture caused the creases of his rippled abs to glisten and her core to tighten. “Put some clothes on!” Alana acted as if taking in the masterpiece that was his body had no effect on her. However, the urge to run her hands across his smooth skin and trace the ripples in his stomach made her giddy. The jewel creating an imprint behind his towel beckoned her. Alana turned quickly so she wouldn’t get caught staring.
“I just got out of the shower.” He stared at her incredulously—arms out and shoulders lifted.
“I know that. Where are your clothes?”
Drew smirked. “Behind you.”
“Okay, let me go so you can get dressed.” Alana stepped around him, avoiding the sight of Drew’s muscular arms. “I put the remote, some wine and a glass on the ottoman for you. That throw is there in case you get cold.” She looked at everything she mentioned to keep from considering Drew. Still she noticed how toned his calves were and then, once again, she looked away. Drew walked right up to her.
“Do I make you uncomfortable?”
“Of course not,” she huffed. Alana planted her arms on her hips and her eyes on the blank TV screen.
“Alana.” Drew touched her chin, guiding her head in his direction. Her pulse quickened and her mouth ran dry. “I hate to think that I make you uncomfortable.”
She pulled away from his touch but could still feel him.
“You don’t.” She walked away. “I’ll give you a moment to get dressed.”
* * *
A while later, Alana returned. Drew had on sweats and a T-shirt. She held car keys in her hands and jingled them. “Feel free to take my car if you want to go over to the hospital anytime tonight. I just need to get to the train station for work in the morning.”
Drew’s smile and nod expressed his appreciation. “Come.” He patted the space on the sofa next to him.
Alana shifted her weight to one foot, folded her arms across her chest and tapped the floor with her other foot.
“I won’t take a bite out of you, unless you want me to.”
“Drew.”
“I’m kidding. Jeez!” Drew shook his head. “Now, come. Sit.”
Alana dropped her arms like an exasperated teen and trudged over to the sofa. She plopped down. Her expression remained cool while Drew laughed. His laugh made her laugh.
“You’re trouble, you know.”
Drew simply shrugged. He didn’t deny or confirm that he was something to be reckoned with. He took her hand. “I just want to thank you for today. I appreciate everything you did.” He swept his hand toward the wine and glass. “And all you’re doing. Thank you.” His sincerity cooled her demeanor.
“You’re welcome.”
“Watch TV with me.”
Alana took a deep breath.
“I’ll behave. I promise.” Drew slid his lips into one of those sexy smiles that she could never read. She didn’t know if he could be trusted or not. Worse, she didn’t know how long she could trust herself with Drew in her home.
She snatched the remote from him. “If I’m going to watch TV with you, then we’re going to watch what I want to watch.”
“I love it when a woman takes the lead.” Drew ducked, knowing that a swat was on its way.
Alana sat back on the couch and flipped through the channels until she found one of those cable networks that played reruns of Law and Order all day long.
“I’m cool with that.” He lay across the couch, resting his head in Alana’s lap. She looked down at him. He was such a tease.
“What?” he asked innocently.
“Just watch the TV, silly,” she instructed. Alana caressed his closely cut hair, gently scratching his scalp.
Drew’s eyes lazily closed halfway. He seemed to enjoy the soothing gesture. Drew looked up at her and winked. Alana smiled back, leaned forward and kissed his lips. Drew sat up, slid his arm around her neck and brought her closer. The exchange was warm, sensual and
passionate, ending with countless kisses.
Drew laid his head across her lap again and laced one hand in hers. With the other, she continued caressing his head until Drew’s eyes grew too heavy to keep open.
Carefully, she lifted his head from her lap and eased up. She covered him with the throw, lowered the volume on the TV and changed to a music channel that played soft jazz. Dimming the lights as she exited the room, she softly said, “Good night.”
Thoughts of all the possibilities with Drew accompanied her to the bedroom. Maybe they could become something. Perhaps she might consider giving him another chance. She tried, albeit unsuccessfully, to deny her attraction to him, which now grew much deeper than just the physical. Could he be worth breaking her rules? Things were certainly different this time around. Drew was more compassionate, more attentive. Could he give Alana what she’d always sought? Could he actually become her prince?
Alana turned those thoughts and the vision of Drew’s freshly showered body over in her mind. She pictured him sheathed only in a towel. She didn’t want to think about how scrumptious he looked—didn’t want to remember all the delicious things he could do with what was hidden under that towel—but her memories betrayed her. Then she remembered how tenderly he dealt with his parents. That made her smile—even though she didn’t want to. Memories like that were detrimental to her rules.
Chapter 14
By the time Alana woke up the next morning, Drew had showered and was in the kitchen preparing breakfast to the rhythms of ’90s R&B.
“Hey.”
Drew looked up and smiled. Alana couldn’t know how sexy she looked in a smart blouse, black trousers and pumps. She might as well have been prancing around in a negligee as far as he was concerned. It would have been equally arousing. “Good morning!”
“You made all of this?” She looked around in awe.
“My token of appreciation. Thanks for yesterday.” Drew placed eggs, turkey bacon and biscuits on a plate. He placed a small jar of organic peach preserves that he’d found in her refrigerator next to the plate and poured orange juice in a wineglass. He presented the meal with a grand sweep of his hand. “Bon appetit!”
Alana sat and scooted her chair closer to the table. “It looks delicious. Thank you.” Closing her eyes, she said a quick grace and then paused. “I had biscuits in the fridge?” She looked confused.
“No.”
Alana cast him a sideways glance. “Then where did these biscuits come from?”
“I made them.” Drew plated his own breakfast as he continued bopping with the music.
“You made them?”
Standing erect, Drew put his hand across his chest, acting as if he were offended. “Yes. I made them.”
Alana took a bite, closed her eyes and moaned. “No way,” she said, still chewing.
“I’m great at a lot of things, remember?” He paused to let the innuendo settle as he sat. When she shook her head at him, he laughed.
“You’re so damn fresh.” Alana giggled.
“Mom taught us all a few family recipes. She said it didn’t matter that we were boys. We needed to know how to cook.”
“So good,” she said with her mouth full. “Did you get back to the hospital last night?”
“No.”
“I didn’t think so. Jet lag,” she said and he nodded in agreement. “You can take my car today if you want.”
“I appreciate that.” Drew spread preserves on his biscuit.
“Just drop me off at the station so I can catch my train into the city. I’ll show you where to leave my keys when you’re done.”
“I’ll have my mom, Hunter or Drew follow me back. They’ll take me to Brooklyn.” Drew wanted to spend more time with her but knew she needed to get to work. She’d already voiced her concerns about building her client list. “Are you busy this weekend?”
“The usual errands. Why?”
“This weekend’s race is in the States, right outside of Austin. Blake and Hunter were coming out for it, but now, with Dad being in the hospital, they’re going to stay here. I’m coming right back when it’s over. Have you ever been to a motorcycle race before?”
“Nope.” Alana took the last bite of the biscuit, wiped her mouth and pushed her plate back. “I’ve never known much about it until I met you.”
“Would you like to come?”
Alana waited a moment before she answered. “I guess.” She shrugged.
“Great. I’ll take care of everything. You’ll enjoy it.”
Alana looked at her watch. “We’d better get going so I can catch my train.”
Alana reached for her plate and Drew held his hand out. “I’ll do that. Get yourself ready.”
Alana looked at him with a brow raised.
“I got this,” he reassured her.
“Okaaay...” Alana looked puzzled. Slowly, she turned and headed upstairs to get her shoes and handbag.
Drew understood her confusion perfectly. She’d never seen this side of him. He hadn’t taken Alana as seriously as he should have when they had first dated. Now he was hitting the Restart button and coming from a new angle. He needed to dispel the myths he’d help create and guide her to realizing that he was good for her.
“Okay. I’m ready,” Alana announced as she descended the stairs moments later.
Drew was heading toward the door just as she made it to the bottom step. He paused to allow her space to walk in front of him. He watched her hips sway in those well-fitting pants as she grabbed her coat and sauntered through the front door. He loved the way she strutted in heels.
Drew opened the passenger side door and examined her as she climbed in before he rounded the car to the driver’s side. He chuckled at the notion of living this kind of normal life, having breakfast and heading to work in the morning with your partner. He’d never played house before. Most of the time, he avoided spending the night, but there was something about this kind of routine with Alana that felt right—even if it had only been one night.
Drew also appreciated her display of selflessness—the way she supported him in recent weeks and how she consistently asked about his shoulder until he finally told her it was all healed. None of the other women he spent time with showed him that much concern.
Drew and Alana chatted during the several minutes it took to get her to the commuter train station. Pulling up to the drop-off area, he put the car in park and turned toward her.
“What?” she questioned him. He simply smiled. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“You’re a beautiful woman.”
Alana cleared her throat. “Thanks.” She sat coyly with her eyes cast downward as she fiddled with the handle of her bag.
“Oh, now you’re shy?” Drew teased.
“Whatever, Drew.” Giving him a quick peck, Alana pulled the door handle to get out.
Drew grabbed her arm to stop her. When she turned, he leaned toward her and kissed her lips. Bringing her closer, Drew slid his hand behind her head and deepened the kiss. Her hand rested on his chest. When Drew finally released her, he had kissed her breath away.
Alana exhaled slowly. Drew sat back, giving her a moment to collect herself. She licked her lips, which made him smile.
“I need to catch my train.” She stepped out of the car and leaned over into the open window. “I’ll see you later.”
“Have a good day.” Drew’s eyes followed her up the escalator and onto the platform before he took off. He was getting closer.
Drew drove to the hospital feeling rejuvenated and optimistic. When he arrived, his mother was sleeping in a chair and holding his father’s hand. Quietly, he stood by his father’s side, watching his chest steadily rise and fall. His mother stirred.
“Hey, baby.” His mother stood. Drew kissed her f
orehead and hugged her.
His father’s eyes fluttered. Drew turned to him.
“Dad.”
Floyd tried a smile. His mouth opened, but no words came out.
“Don’t try to speak.”
Floyd nodded slightly. Drew’s chest filled with air. Overwhelmed by the sight of his father’s smile, he took his hand and squeezed gently.
Feeling better about the state of his father’s health, Drew pulled up a chair, turned on the TV and spent the rest of the morning and afternoon soaking in his parents’ presence.
Chapter 15
Alana couldn’t believe that she was actually on her way to Texas to be with Drew for the weekend. He’d left two days earlier to get ready for the race. Drew had never made it to his home in Brooklyn. He’d split his time between his father’s bedside and Alana’s house. They’d shared a few more breathtaking kisses, but he hadn’t attempted any level of intimacy beyond that. Alana couldn’t honestly say that she’d deny Drew if he had tried. She was experiencing a completely new Drew—a version that was becoming harder to resist. This Drew doted on her, made breakfast, lunch and dinner some days. This Drew gave hello and goodbye kisses. This Drew fell asleep across her lap and held her hand for no reason at all. This Drew spent days with her without trying to bed her. This Drew was beating down her defenses with every gentlemanly gesture and she wasn’t sure she was happy about it.
Alana had initially declined his offer to join him in Texas, but he refused to accept that. She finally relented when she received her flight itinerary and hotel reservations at the Four Seasons by email. This Drew was also insistent and presumptuous, two traits she did recognize as belonging to the Drew whom she’d always known. Cadence told her she’d be a fool to not go. Neither of them had taken time off since they had started their practice almost a year and a half ago. Time off was overdue.
